Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

[RJSamp]

Just read this again in the 21st Wisconsin Dutch Mudsills book.... a lowly Sargeant (Otto, the author of the book) during a long, monotonous, energy sapping march.....suddenly yelled out "Drummers and Fifers to the Front!".....expecting the Field Musics to march to the head of the regiment, come up with a snappy tune, and a cadence to pull the men out of their stupor and put a bounce in their step. All good stuff.

The Colonel in the regiment behind (24th ILL) heard the yell, and had his BAND start up a tune. When they were done his field music's chimed in....and soon the column, much revived, was singing, smiling, stepping lively to the cadence.

1. Have never seen this in any manual as a command.

2. But a Field Officer immediately recognized what the shout was all about.

3. So much for silence in the ranks....

4. Have you heard of this anywhere else?

Would love to reenact this sometime/put it in our repetoire.

[dave81276]

R.J.,

Did you go to Payne's Farm?

[J.H.Berger]

Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill by (Johann Heinrich) John Henry Otto. One of my favorites a MUST with many interesting details of daily life.
Sorry does not fit in here RJ but I love that book! Especially his bugle quotes;-))))

[RJSamp]

R.J.,

Did you go to Payne's Farm?

No I did not. The quote is from November 1862 near Murfreesboro TN if that will help tie in the research.

[markj]

I suppose the Colonel wanted something like this to happen.....

(see attachment)

Yours, &c.,

Mark Jaeger

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Perhaps this is one of those "common sense" things that wasn't written in a manual. Buttoning up the soldier's trouser fly wasn't in the manual or Regs either, but I suspect they did it without a command (well, most of 'em).

A good officer recognizes the physical condition of his men and takes steps to help improve it. When men are flagging on a march, some good music helps pep 'em up and keep them going. The presence of the Federal City Brass Band in the Yankee ranks at Payne's Farm 2005 kept a number of men "going' on the march. As the Federal commander for that event, I did not consult a manual before asking the Principal Musician to "play something".

[Jim Moffet]

One wonders where the field music was prior to the call "to the front." Was the brigade marching "left in front?" If so, the massed field music would probably have been at the tail of the battalion. Or possibly they weren't massed, and rather were marching with their own companies. My analysis of the sources would have the field music massed on the right of the line when the battalion formed. A specific drummer and fifer only returned to their home company if it were on some detached duty.

Anyone have sources to dispute this analysis?

Jim Moffet

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Analysis? It's just basic facts about where folks stood when an infantry battalion was formed, and where they marched. This is drill manual stuff at its most basic level.

[RJSamp]

Perhaps this is one of those "common sense" things that wasn't written in a manual. Buttoning up the soldier's trouser fly wasn't in the manual or Regs either, but I suspect they did it without a command (well, most of 'em).

A good officer recognizes the physical condition of his men and takes steps to help improve it. When men are flagging on a march, some good music helps pep 'em up and keep them going. The presence of the Federal City Brass Band in the Yankee ranks at Payne's Farm 2005 kept a number of men "going' on the march. As the Federal commander for that event, I did not consult a manual before asking the Principal Musician to "play something".

I would urge you to read the Dutch Mudsills book (John Henry Otto) and get into the period context before making up stuff. The "common sense" stuff you speak about is commented upon in the book.....3 Regulars die of sunstroke during a march because their officer's don't have the common sense to get the men out of the sun, take their knapsacks and coats off, and drink some water.

Otto is a THIRD SERGEANT when he yell's out the 'common sense' 'suggestion'/'command', not an officer. Obviously his Colonel, let alone his Captain, didn't have the common sense to pep up the morale of the boys during this yet another 25 mile march through hand deep dust under a beating sun. How many Sergeant's have you read about that had the perspicacity, temerity, ingenuity, brass balls, to shout out 'an order' to a Regiment?

Even more important......where have you read that "Fifers and Drummers to the Front" means strike up the music and establish a cadence? .....and this from a Third Sergeant?

More to the point, an expression that I have never read about (nor are you able to provide a citation other than 'common sense') in any period book or manual is recognized by the Colonel of ANOTHER regiment, and he immediately has his (the 24th IL Regimental band was the Brigade band) band play and boost the morale of the troops on the march.

It's quite another thing to have a Colonel order the band to play a tune. And hopefully you were reenacting a Brigade and ordered the Brigade Band to play at Payne's Farm. wouldn't want to have the historically inaccurate impression of 300 or 400 rifles with their own band for an 1864 event.

[RJSamp]

Analysis? It's just basic facts about where folks stood when an infantry battalion was formed, and where they marched. This is drill manual stuff at its most basic level.

No, it's the hard reality that we can't begin to come up with an authentic campaign impression.....even a once every five years RR/BGR event at 5 miles max per day pales in comparison to what it would take to come up with an authentic, historically precise, and SAFE authentic campaign impression.

When the Regiment/Brigade forms up for a road march, waits for the other Divisions and their wagons to pass, and then starts up (hopefully you've added a touch to the scenario like the canteen detail or the last of the pickets is NOT back yet!) they are fairly well formed. Add 15 miles of hot sun to the march through clouds of dust and accordion stops and starts.....and start dealing with straggling, bad food, broken down muscles, boils, lice, and blisters.....and all of a sudden your infantry battalion formation at its most basic level is in shambles. Jim Moffet's point is erudite, to say the least. Your lack of analysis means that you need to read the passage to have context in your response.

To continue:
1. Jim asks: Why wasn't the Fifers and Drummer's already in the Front? (they and/or their equipment was on the wagons or they were straggling...the campaigning had worn the young musicians out!).

2. If the basic formation of a battalion in a route column is to have the drummers and fifers up front.....why yell out "Fifers and Drummers to the Front" as a command to "Play us a tune" or "strike up the band" at the basic level?

3. If the basic formation of a battalion in a route column is to have the drummers and fifers up front.....why would a Colonel in the following regiment recognize that a cry of "Fifers and Drummers to the Front" meant to "Play us a tune" or "strike up the band" when his Band AND his fifers and drummers were well in hand and already in front. And their is no need in the US Army to bring the fifers and drummers to the front as they are already there at the most basic level.

There's Lot's of good stuff to analyze in a simple command from a 3rd Sergeant on a march.....

Bottom line on this is that it's going to be a PRUSSIAN ARMY manual (1845 Exerzier Reglement) order that the Colonel and JHO both had drilled under for a decade plus each...... and JHO who had the experience and common sense to know that his 'poys' needed a lift shouted out an old Prussian Army command IN ENGLISH to get the Drummers and Fifers to 'loosen or grease the joints' and play something.

It's like the basic command to Dance:
Get up off of your A_S, come on baby let's Shake it!

[1stMaine]

Comrades,

Speaking of musicians, and the oft-ordering them to assist the medical staff in battle, I offer the following, taken from a thesis written by Dr. Richard Swanton Vickery, Regimental Surgeon of the Second Michigan Infantry, in 1864 as part of his degree program. he drew heavily upon his wartime experiences in his work, and it is quite illuminating. A portion of it may be found here:

http://mmcwrt.missouri.org/2004/default0406.htm

For a Regiment of five or six hundred men he should have at least four stretchers--those generally issued now with light canvas bottoms, and with transverse iron bars at the head and foot, the side poles being stout enough to be firm, are the best. They have not so much of that springing motion to every step of the bearers which is so disagreeable and sometimes torturing to the wounded man. A horse-litter has sometimes been furnished to Regiments, but it was both unwieldy and inconvenient, and seldom if ever used. If it should happen that there are no stretchers, blankets or shelter tents stretched between two poles will make a good substitute. Failing even these a man can be carried, though not so comfortably or so easily, on a blanket held by four men at the corners, or seated on the crossed arms of two stout men.

Then the stretcher bearers must be looked to, of whom there should be four to each stretcher. After reserving one or two of his Hospital attendants for other duties, he [the surgeon] will have three or four of them to act in this capacity. The Drum corps and the Regimental Band, if there is one, are always on the eve of a battle ordered to report to the Surgeon for duty, but the less he calculates on aid from them the better. With a few exceptions, they are generally worthless as stretcher bearers, many of them being young lads physically incapable of such fatiguing duty.

Highlights are mine... TSK

[Jim Moffet]

Analysis? It's just basic facts about where folks stood when an infantry battalion was formed, and where they marched. This is drill manual stuff at its most basic level.

Perhaps 'analysis' was the wrong word for this particular statement. Kevin is right. We all know where the field music lines up - it's in the regs, and the diagrams in the SoB manuals. The problems that require analysis - and further research - and to which my previous post spoke, have to do with the specific maneuvres of field music as practiced. When do they move, by what commands? No manual that I have read covers these points. We know where evey right or left company guide should be at any given point within an evolution - that's published. Clearly, every regiment that had field music developed "customs of service" and the principal musician (if they had any) must have worked with the field and staff officers and NCOs to determine when they moved from the right of the line (where they formed up on the color line); to the position behind the right center company - to name but one example. What would any given regiment's SOP have been following the command: "By platoon (or company), left wheel, march?" On some occasions with my re-created battalion, the colonel or one of his staff told the music to move to the front of the column; on other occasions (generally when the move was not to be too distant) they were told to stand fast at the rear of the column.

As enactors, we have to interpolate within the sources to determine exactly when, where, and by what commands the field music moved. By example - when the field music troops the line during a parade, no "official" army sources make any mention of how the music is to turn around at the left of the line. Should they wheel 180 degrees? To the right or the left?" Should they perform a "right about, march?" Bruce and Emmet's states that they face to the right and then 'countermarch' to the left. We know that B&E was not published in large enough numbers to have been "common." Was B&E's practice "standard" with the US Regular Army? Dan Emmett had been in the regulars pre-war. Possibly, on the other hand, George Bruce was a noted NY militia drummer. Was the countermarch something that was pulled out to impress during pre-war competitions; being more flashy then one of the other options? I for one don't know. Being a member of the recreated First Minnesota, I know that the drummers were trained in Minnesota for about 10 weeks prior to transport to Washington, but have no information on what F&D books, manuals, etc. were available in May or June 1861 in Minnesota - or what the background of whoever the 'lead' drummer who might have taken charge - The regiment didn't have a PM at all from Sept. 1861 (and he was discharged with the band) until August 1863. They served throughout the war in the Second Corps - one can imagine that they saw new things from other units, and that their practices evolved throughout their 3 years of service. I've read dozens of regimental histories, and very rarely do little facts like these get recorded. Once practices were 'standardized' they became as common as buttoning one's trowsers.

I trust that, as other AC members come across these tiny facts, nessled deep within memoirs, diaries, letters, etc., they will share them with our community. That said, they would be a reference to how one unit did a particular thing, at a given time in the war. In some cases, they will shed some light, but to assume that it was standard practice would be intellectually dangerous.

Jim Moffet

[Kevin O'Beirne]

RJ,

I believe it's you who've misinterpreted things in this thread.

As I've often written, I certainly look forward to reading your scholarly articles on this stuff. You seem to know so muich about many topics.

[Goat]

1. Have never seen this in any manual as a command.

3. So much for silence in the ranks....



I'm lost here. On the march, I'm not aware of this as a requirment, especially at the route step. Am I missing something?

Rob Willis

[ThehosGendar]

The Colonel in the regiment behind (24th ILL) heard the yell, and had his BAND start up a tune. When they were done his field music's chimed in....and soon the column, much revived, was singing, smiling, stepping lively to the cadence.

The Sergeant and Colonel are indeed subscribers to the idea that "music and gallant deeds go together" and did what experience would teach many officers to do as the war progressed, and would later be wonderfully articulated by "Field Piece" in the December 31, 1864 edition of the Army Navy Journal:

“Take a regiment of infantry that has been marched until from exhaustion it seems about to crumble to pieces – and let a band strike up: how quickly all is changed, men who could scarcely walk before, will “close up,” “dress files,” and step as lightly, and as true to the music as ever marched a mimic army upon the stage; and will seem a mighty body with but one lofty purpose, and one pair of feet.”

Does an order to strike up a band appear in a manual? No. But I think Mr. O'Beirne's quote goes perfectly here as well - "Perhaps this is one of those "common sense" things that wasn't written in a manual. Buttoning up the soldier's trouser fly wasn't in the manual or Regs either, but I suspect they did it without a command (well, most of 'em)."

[RJSamp]

you guys aren't getting it.......

most of us know that 'strike up the band' means to start the music..... and most of us know (have the common sense) that playing music on the march improves morale and lightens the step. And NONE of this is in any manual. Kevin, Jason, RJ, Jim, et al are all on that step.

If a Sergeant in 7th Company yelled out in English "Loosen the Joints" would you know what that meant? Would a Non Prussian army veteran know what that meant? would it be common sense? good, now tell me what it means without referring to any outside materials. If you get that I've got another 25 terms right after that that will test your period vernacular. and don't forget to "Grease the Pail" either.

If a Sergeant in 1st Battalion, 6th Company yelled out "Drummers and Fifers to the Front!" at McDowell 2009 or an upcoming event, would you start the field music's from the 2nd battalion playing Jason? Will you? after all it's common sense. and by the way the unit is at the Route Step per the General's Order's (and your Colonel is right in front of you). Would you ask your Colonel if you can 'stike up a tune'? Which mean's that 2nd Battalion is now forcing the Regiment/Brigade out of route Step. Kind of like 3rd Company going to Right Shoulder Shift Arms while 1st Company is still at Shoulder Arms....

It's the argot, the usage, the term, the period speak that I'm after.....and a Sergeant ordering Field Music's to break Route Step...... [I don't know many commanding officer's or Company Captain's in reenacting today that would tolerate the Sergeant's order, including Kevin]
not the common sense of playing music on a dusty march after 15 miles on the road.

[ThehosGendar]

Okay... How about we start over on this one.

Just read this again in the 21st Wisconsin Dutch Mudsills book.... a lowly Sargeant (Otto, the author of the book) during a long, monotonous, energy sapping march.....suddenly yelled out "Drummers and Fifers to the Front!".....expecting the Field Musics to march to the head of the regiment, come up with a snappy tune, and a cadence to pull the men out of their stupor and put a bounce in their step. All good stuff.

The Colonel in the regiment behind (24th ILL) heard the yell, and had his BAND start up a tune. When they were done his field music's chimed in....and soon the column, much revived, was singing, smiling, stepping lively to the cadence.

1. Have never seen this in any manual as a command.

2. But a Field Officer immediately recognized what the shout was all about.

3. So much for silence in the ranks....

4. Have you heard of this anywhere else?

Would love to reenact this sometime/put it in our repetoire.

First, we don't have the full, exact quote to dissect, so outside of those who have read the book, we don't know exactly what's going on. From the subsequent replies, I take it they were marching at the route step.

So, if they are marching at the route step, the forequoted #3, "So much for silence in the ranks...." doesn't apply, as, according to Butterfield's:

"Article II
On the March.

7. The men must be perfectly silent, dress, and keep the step, covering in file as on drill, until the word "route step" is given by the commanding officer. [pg 34]"

So silence may be broken, allowing, from R.J.'s snippet, a sergeant to speak and order his field music to come forward and play.

But why are they coming forward to the front? Again, like the old multiple choice math problems, we have to fill in circle 'E' - "not enough information."

Now, again, from R.J.'s snippet, it seems like the sergeant was "expecting the Field Musics to march to the head of the regiment, come up with a snappy tune, and a cadence to pull the men out of their stupor and put a bounce in their step."

But did they?

It appears that the commanding officer of the next regiment in the column ordered his band and drum corps to play, and they did. But from the snippet, it doesn't appear that the band or field music of the 21st WI, the sergeant's unit, played. So, in fact, the sergeant didn't do anything. He just shouted something, which he wished to have happen, to no effect in his unit. If anything, he wanted to hear a tune, and the officer of the regiment following thought it would be a good idea, and since he had the power to do something, and knowing of the inspiring effect of music, he did something.

So, go ahead. Be a sergeant, and shout out an order to the band, and expect nothing to happen. That's just what happened to the 21st. However, you might be the catalyst to make someone with the power to do something to do something.

Now, once the band played, did the men then snap into step and return their arms to a uniform position, and close order, thus fully converting from route step to a cadenced step? Or, did a band just play?

Then, if the column did break route step and return to a cadence step because of one colonel within a brigade in column of march, did he get brought up on charges or disciplined because of that? I'm sure that's beyond the scope of Mr. Otto's book. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

And, to your question, R.J. If the effect of a having a band play would bring the men out of a funk after a long and grueling march, and I were in command of the 2nd Battalion, yes, I would order the band to play. That sergeant's grumbling would have alerted me that the men were uncomfortable, and any good officer looks after the well being of the men under his command. And that is very likely what the C.O. of the 24th IL was thinking, too. And you know, what? That, that a responsible officer looks after the men under him, is what Kautz, Butterfield, and a host of other manuals say.

[Hank Trent]

First, we don't have the full, exact quote to dissect, so outside of those who have read the book, we don't know exactly what's going on.

Here you go:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Mi3xpiqrzGIC&pg=PA58

As soon as the train was by we followed. It seemed something of a novelty to walk once more on a solid level road without fearing to knock a two or three pounder out of the way with tender toes. But there is nothing perfect in this world, even if the creator has made everything good, and the pike made no exception to the old rule. Thousands of troops and horses and mules, and batteries and wagons had passed this same road and the dust was half a foot deep. By the constant stirring of it the air became so filled with it as to make the sun appear like a big round Slice of a watermelon. To a short breathed person the dust was most inconvenient and more dangerous than sore feet. We had not gone far when the lines began to lengthen. Not a word was spoken. Everyone dragged wearily along busy with his own thoughts and troubles. Even Walk Fish was serene and quiet. Men would get mad if some one came in his way. It is in such trying times that the true character of a person reveals itself. I was thinking about this and how in the prussian Army under similar circumstances the drummers and fifers had to play once in a while, "to grease the joints" as we used to say, and how effective it always was. I wondered why they could not do that here and on a sudden impulse shouted: "Drummer [yes it's singular] and fifers to the front"! But none came. They had betaken themselfes to the wagons. But all at once the 24th Ill. Music band struck up a march. A deefening jell [sic] arose from the ranks; Like as by magic the men straightened up, took [step] ["step" is in brackets in the published version] and to all appearances stepped as easy as on parade ground. The 24th marched behind our Regt. Col. Mihalotzi had heard the call for the drummers and seeing that none came had ordered his band to play. When the music ceased their drummers took it up and in that manner we went along in good style.... [ellipsis in published version] at 10 p.m. we went in camp where a bridge spans the "Rolling fork" a river of considerable size. They called the place "New Market" but no City or village could be discovered. Only 25 men of the Comp. were present to stake arms. Even the "dutch squad" was "demoralized."

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[TheRegularsDrummerCo.H]

Usually playing tunes while marching will keep them in step or just paying attention, but most of the time it is to boost there moralle

Adam Ward

[RJSamp]

I'm lost here. On the march, I'm not aware of this as a requirment, especially at the route step. Am I missing something?

Rob Willis

How many Sergeant's do you know who yell out for something (as in giving an order/request)? what's a Sergeant doing bypassing his 1st Sergeant, 1st Lt., Captain?

I'm actually amazed during the entire book Otto doesn't get reprimanded more.....he speaks with Colonels, Captains, and Privates as if they were not in a military setting. Quite different from what we've been told to act like.....

[markj]

I've already sent this to R. J. Samp and am posting it here for s***s & grins. The item dates to 1867, but it's still intriguing. Field musicians may immediately note that a certain "Drum Major Bruce" is mentioned as having judged the below contest:


New York Times, 12 May 1867, p. 6:

NATIONAL GUARD.

Considerable activity was observable in [New York] National Guard circles during the past week. We give our usual summary of events:

*************
DRUM CORPS DRILL.

The first of the series of competitive drills for the drum corps championship, took place on Thursday evening [May 9th, 1867] at the Stadt Theatre, between the Drum Corps of the Fifth and Twelfth [New York National Guard] Regiments. The occasion drew together a large audience. The Fifth Regiment Drum Corps appeared with thirty drums, and gave the United States Regular Army beats and the German Army calls. They displayed great proficiency in the latter, being aided therein by the Bugle Corps. The Twelfth Regiment Drum Corps appeared with seventeen drummers, and confined themselves wholly to the United States Army beats, being highly successful in their rendition of the same. Both corps received their meed of applause [sic], and public sentiment seemed greatly divided regarding the issue. Drum Majors BRUCE, SMITH, TOMPKINS and JUDSON acted as judges, and they have not yet pronounced their decision. As we have been requested to give our opinion on the subject, we comply by saying that the Twelfth Regiment Corps were the most accurate in their rendition of the army calls now in use in the Regular Army of the United States, the Fifth Drum Corps displaying too many flourishes while beating the common calls. As the test was made upon the American system of army calls, the exhibition of the German system by Mr. BERCHERT’S Corps, though a very handsome performance, cannot count for anything in the contest. To our mind the Twelfth Regiment Drum Corps is entitled to the palm so far, though they have need to be careful while contesting with other American drum corps.***

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[RJSamp]

Sounds like the buglers were practicing up on how to beat the French in a few short weeks!